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Tag Archives: Seven

Walt Disney Pictures has come a long way from making full-length animated features like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, and Peter Pan. In the 21st century, the company has reinvented itself with live-action blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean, state-of-the-art computer animated films like Cars and Frozen, and adaptations of children’s literary classics like Roald Dahl’s The BFG and Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time (out in theaters this March). In recent years, Disney has expanded into more lucrative markets like comic book blockbusters (ie. Marvel comics) and, of course, the Star Wars franchise. The latest Star Wars entry, The Last Jedi, hit the $1 billion mark in worldwide box office sales barely three weeks after its US theatrical release. With a plethora of material to work with, and plenty of money coming in, one would think Disney is far passed its tipping point, but that might not be the case at all. Continue reading →

Writer/director Martin McDonagh’s latest dramatic dark-comedy, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri drew mass acclaim on the film festival circuit this season, winning awards at BIFA, and the Venice Film and Toronto International Film Festivals. McDonagh, along with lead cast members Frances McDormand (Fargo, Almost Famous) and Woody Harrelson (No Country For Old Men, Zombieland) are already expected to receive Oscar nominations for their telling of a mid-Western mother (Mildred Hayes) who abruptly calls out the local sheriffs department for failing to resolve their investigation into her daughter’s brutal murder. Supporting actor Sam Rockwell (The Green Mile, Moon) is also being praised for his role as second-in-command Officer Dixon, in a film Woody Harrelson describes in the Hollywood Reporter as, “Super Troopers meets Seven Psychopaths,” (the latter another of McDonagh’s feature films).

Three Billboards was a huge hit at the British Independent Film Awards, winning for Best Music and Best Editing and receiving nominations for Best Director, Best Actress (McDormand), Best Supporting Actor (Harrelson and Rockwell), Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. Additionally, Three Billboards won the Feature Film award at the Denver International Film Festival, as well as Best Screenplay (Venice Film Festival), Gala/Special Presentations for McDonagh (TIFF), Overall Winner (Leeds), and Supporting Actor of the Year for Rockwell (Hollywood Film Awards). The trailer is nothing short of mesmerizing, and all bets say this one will be one of the top contenders of the Holiday season, so be sure to see it on the big screen before all the theaters are teeming with Star Wars fanatics.

Atari Jones has been on our radar for quite some time now. The Ohio artist recently linked up with producer Narou on this new gem dubbed “Seven.” Atari always flares versatility whenever he gets on the mic, but this record still manages to feel like uncharted territory. At just over 2 and a half minutes this one breezes by, press play above and keep an eye out for more.

Today we’re highlighting a scene from the 1994 Stephen King drama The Shawshank Redemption. Written and directed by Frank Darabont (The Green Mile, The Walking Dead) from King’s short story, the film follows former banker-turned-felon Andy Dufresne (portrayed by Oscar-winner Tim Robbins), who is sent to Shawshank prison for the murder of his wife. During his stay he befriends fellow inmate Ellis ‘Red’ Redding, who helps Dufrense navigate the harsh realities of prison life, and who likewise is touched by Dufrense’s ability to remember life beyond tall prison walls. The film received 7 Academy Award nominations, and although it lost out on every win, has gone down in history as an iconic cinematic masterpiece. Continue reading →

Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) is currently working on principle photography for his upcoming remake of the classic 1960 western The Magnificent Seven. The original film was directed by legendary director John Sturges (The Great Escape, Joe Kidd) and featured an all-star cast that included Yul Brynner (The Ten Commandments), Eli Wallach (The Good The Bad and the Ugly), Steve McQueen (Bullitt), Charles Bronson (Death Wish), Robert Vaughn (Julius Caesar), Brad Dexter (Run Silent Run Deep), and James Coburn (Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid). Composer Elmer Bernstein received an Oscar-nomination for Best Musical Score (Drama/Comedy) for his work on the picture, and the film was selected for the National Film Registry by the National Film Preservation Board in 2013. Continue reading →

Rumors have been flying around Hollywood for the last year or so regarding a potential third installment of Michael Bay’s Bad Boys film series with Will Smith (Men In Black, Independence Day) and Martin Lawrence (Life, Big Momma’s House), and now Sony Pictures has confirmed that a sequel is definitely happening. But it’s not only one sequel that fans can look forward to. According to Sony, Bad Boys 3 AND 4 now have official release dates for February 2017 and July 2019, in a list that also detailed release dates for a Jumanji reboot, a remake of the classic Magnificent Seven by director Antione Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer), and an adaptation of The Dark Tower from director Nikolaj Arcel (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, A Royal Affair). Original Bad Boys director Michael Bay (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor) is not currently attached to these new films, at least not in a directorial function. It has been rumored that Smokin’ Aces and The Grey director Joe Carnahan will be taking over the reigns for these new installments, as Bay is currently working on production of several new films, including Transformers 5, The Purge 3, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, and a Friday the 13th reboot. Stay tuned for more news.

The Bean in Chicago’s Millenium Park will also be featured as part of Statue Stories Chicago.

A new project here in Chicago is launching this week in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The project is called Statue Stories Chicago, an idea which first launched in parks in Britain and Chicago is now the first US city to feature the attraction. 31 statues in Lincoln Park will feature new icons that Chicagoans and tourists can scan with their smart phones and then receive a phone call from ‘the statue’ informing them of who they are and providing a small bit of history behind the statue as well. For example, if you were to scan the icon next to the statue of Abraham Lincoln, you would receive a phone call from Abraham Lincoln, whose voice is provided by actor John C. Reilly (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Step-Brothers). The project is the work of Colette Hiller, who has worked with theaters around the city, including Second City, Steppenwolf, The Goodman, and The Looking Glass, to bring the attractions to life. Other actors taking part in the project include Steve Carrell (The Office, Little Miss Sunshine), David Schwimmer (Friends, Six Days Seven Nights), and Chicago-native Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show, Elf), who provides the voice for his own statue at Navy Pier. So if you’re in Lincoln Park be sure to check out these new talking statues!

A lot of news was revealed at the annual Comic-Con event in San Diego this year; so much, in fact, that we’ll probably be telling you about it all week. One of the highlights of the event was the Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice panel, which featured actors Henry Cavill (The Cold Light of Day, Immortals), Ben Affleck (The Town, Argo), Gal Gadot (Entourage, Furious Seven), and Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Zombieland) discussing the movie and the new (much extended) trailer that was unveiled for fans. The movie has a lot of weight resting on its shoulders. Not only will Batman be re-introduced to the big-screen after Christian Bale’s Dark Knight series ended, but Wonder Woman will also make her big-screen debut and (if DC gets their shit together and starts coordinating their superhero movie plots) will lay the groundwork for the upcoming Justice League movies. Wonder Woman is also expected to have her own independent movie coming into production and Ben Affleck has signed on for both the Justice League movies and additional independent Batman movies. Talk about milking the cow! Anyway the new trailer for Batman Vs. Superman, which is expected in theaters March 24th, 2016, is here on MADE. Enjoy!

The chances of somebody never having seen Christopher Lee in a movie may be virtually impossible. The 93 year-old-actor, who died Sunday in London, was a veteran of the big screen, whose life achievements can easily be seen in his long repertoire of films. Lee covered all of the basics during his career. He appeared in classic stories like Dracula (1970) and The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), and he would carry his villainous streak over to such roles as James Bond‘s nemesis in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) to Count Dooku in George Lucas’s latest Star Wars trilogy, to the dark-wizard Saruman in director Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings series. Some music fans may even recognize him on the cover of Paul McCartney’s most popular post-Beatles ablum Band on the Run alongside McCartney and Wings and actors James Coburn (The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven), and Kenny Lynch, among others. In later years Lee would also collaborate regularly with director Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns) on such films as Sleepy Hollow and Alice in Wonderland, and he was knighted in his home country of England in 2009. He leaves behind his wife of 50 years Birgit Kroencke and their daughter Christina. May he rest in peace.

Everybody’s favorite potty-mouth/pot-smoking/beer-guzzling teddy bear will be back on the big screen this June 26th. Ted 2 will find Ted (voiced by writer/director Seth MacFarlane) and his new bride Tami-Lynn trying to have a baby, but hindered by the courts, who argue that Ted (as a teddy-bear and not a person) does not qualify to be a parent. Ted then enlists his friend John to help him find a way to win his civil-rights court case and become the parent he wants to be. Returning for the new movie is Mark Wahlberg (Four Brothers, Entourage), Jessica Barth (Next, Get Smart),Patrick Warburton (Family Guy, Rules of Engagement), along with new cast-members Amanda Seyfried (Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!), Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List, Taken), and Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption, Seven). Director MacFarlane co-wrote the new film with long time collaborating writing-team Alan Sulkin and Wellesley Wild (Ted, A Million Ways To Die In The West). The full-length trailer is available here on MADE. Catch the new movie in theaters this June 26th.